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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-24-2018, 10:59 AM
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That's a very common problem which has a solution - use a special tripod that comes with an airplane ticket to Arizona or some parts of Africa. I hear you!
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-23-2018, 05:24 PM
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Unless you're tracking, the only thing that matters with the tripod (other than the fact it safely can hold your camera and lens) is vibration once the shutter is tripped. Even a wimpy tripod can work since it's just positioning your shot and once any vibration dies out, you're in business. Of course, when the shutter trips, a sturdy tripod may offer less vibration than the wimpy one. Using a remote to trip the shutter is a must since touching the camera/lens will introduce shake that takes some time to die out and you can knock it off the subject if you attempt to press the shutter button with your finger.
Once you have your subject centered just don't touch the camera or tripod and use a remote to trip the shutter - see if that works for you.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-22-2018, 04:56 PM
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The moon isn't demanding since it's illuminated by the sun just like a sunlight day here on earth. Short exposures with higher f values are quite possible (and needed in most cases) so tracking the moon isn't that much of a requirement.
Wide angle shots can use shutter speeds long enough to gather enough light without tracking if your lens is reasonably fast (f5.6 or faster) because low focal length lenses slow star motion at the film or sensor plane enough to allow those longer exposures. These types of exposures will capture galaxies and stars pretty well and some great shots can be had.
When you start going to longer lenses, two problems show up. Longer lenses usually aren't that fast (higher f numbers wide open), and star motion at the film or sensor is exaggerated requiring short exposures and/or tracking (longer fixed exposures will streak images). Some brighter objects can be photographed (e.g. the moon and some planets), but dimmer ones will definitely require longer exposures and tracking. Some tracking mounts are now available, specifically for photography and cameras, but they can be limited in load capacity. For lighter rigs, they are the way to go and can get you into tracked shots for less money than a full-blown equatorial mount. An example is the Sky Watcher Star Adventure mount (Amazon and others). These mounts are very portable and easy to set up. They come in around $300US.
Good luck. By the way "astral" pertains more to crystal balls than lenses - your new hobby is "astro" photography as the other contributors have made use of in their replies. Don't take that as criticism - just a helpful note as you master the art.
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